Ice cream can hold-down unit



\ Feb 1944- R. M. WILLIAMS ET AL 2,340,723

ICE CREAM CAN HOLD-DOWN UNIT Filed March 7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ull W Iuventons' 7% M h/I'///.'2 m; @en ye f fuvrer A Home Feb. 1, 1944. R. M. WILLIAMS ET AL ICE CREAM CAN HOLD-DOWN UNIT Filed March '7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I/ l/ l/ I Iuuentoni Q a L a Ill /1 1/ 1 11 1/ fi11/H 11 1 1 1 11 '1 1 I 11 11 1/ /1 1 A flan/11y Patented Feb. 1, 1944 ICE CREAM CAN HOLD-DOWN UNIT Roy M. Williams and George J. Kramer, Niles, Ohio Application March 7, 1941, Serial No. 382,268

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in attachments for ice cream dispensing cabinets and has for its primary object to provide means for holding down the ice cream can in the cabinet while the ice cream is being dipped or removed from the can.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an ice cream can'hold-(iown attachment of this character embodyin a Shelf construction removably secured in position in the cabinet so as to support the can in an elevated position without requiring the usual practice of placing another can underneath the elevated can and also providing means for engaging the bottom of the can to prevent the same from slipping on the shelf as well as to provide yieldable means adapted to engage the upper edge of the can to firmly anchor the can in position on the shelf while the contents are being removed therefrom.

A still further object is to provide an attachment of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position in the ice cream cabinet and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of an ice cream cabinet showing the shelf structure and hold-down attachment in position therein,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the top of the shelf removed to provide access to the cans beneath the shelf,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the spring retracted holddown hooks,

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a, fragmentary perspective view of the bottom of one comer of one of the removable tops for the shelf.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view'through the cabinet illustrating the modified form of support for the shelf, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof with the top for the shelf removed.

- Referring now to the drawings in detail, and with particular reference to Figures 1 to 6, incluiii sive, the numeral 5 designates an ice cream cabinet of conventional construction which includes the metal linin 6 behind which is positioned the freezing coils 1. A removable top 8 is provided for the cabinet having the openings 9 formed therein within which are fitted the removable lids ID to provide access to the ice cream cans I positioned in the cabinet.

These cabinets are usually constructed of wincient depth to enable the storing of reserve cans 12 in the bottom of the cabinet while the upper cans II are supported in convenient position to the openings 9 for removing the contents therefrom.

In order to hold the upper cans H against movement while the ice cream is being dipped therefrom, we provide a shelf structure desig nated generally at l3 which includes longitudinal walls M and transverse walls l5 having their lower edge portions inserted in vertical slots 66 formed in the upper edges of posts I! positioned adjacent opposite sides of the cabinet. The outer wall of the slots l6 extend upwardly beyond the inner walls of the slots and set screws l8 are threaded through the upwardly extended portions of the outer walls of the slots and bear against the adjacent sides of the lining 5 to clamp the parts in position in a manner as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 3 of the drawings.

The shelf structure also includes an intermediate transverse partition l9 and the upper cans Ii rest on removable tops 26 which have lugs 2! extending downwardly from the under side thereof for engaging the walls of the shelf structure to prevent sliding movement of the top on the shelf. The inner edges of the tops rest on the intermediate partition l9.

A ring member 22 is secured at one edge to each of the tops 20, the rings projecting upwardly from the tops and within the rings are seated the ice cream cans l l In order to hold the cans ll down while the ice cream is being dipped or scooped therefrom, we provide a plurality of hook members 23 engaging the upper edges of the cans, the hooks having a coil spring 25 attached thereto which extends downwardly therefrom into a tubular guide 2%. The lower end of the tubular guide 2t rests on a pin 28 secured to a bracket 29 which is fastened to the upper surface of the top 29 and the lower end of the spring is attached to the pin to yieldably urge the hook 23 downwardly and thus restrain upward movement of the can i l.

The lower edge of the tubular guide 2a is spaced slightly from the ring member 22 and accordingly, permits limited pivotal movement 01' the tubular guide 24 away from the can when the hook 23 is released therefrom. The ring member 22 prevents inward tilting movement of the tubular guide and hook member when the cans II are removed from the cabinet, and thus prevents the interference of the hooks with the replacing of cans on the tops 20 of the shelf. The books 23 are constructed of flat strips of metal having its intermediate portion bent upon itself for attaching to the spring 25, one end of the metal being formed into the substantially U- shaped hook portion 26 for engaging the edge of the can, while the other end of the metal is curved outwardly to provide the finger grip 21.

InFigures '7 and 8 of the drawings I have illustrated amodified form of upporting the shelf structure l3 within the cabinet, in this form of the invention the posts I! being eliminated and lugs 30 are welded or otherwise secured to the side walls of the lining 6, the lugs having an upstanding extension 3| behind which the Walls of the shelf structure are positioned for securing the shelf in position thereon. Otherwise the shelf structure is identical to the form of the invention as heretofore described.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the upper cans ll may be supported in a convenient position adjacent the covers ID fo removing the ice cream therefrom, and without necessitating the positioning of storage cans i2 in the bottom of the cabinet for the purpose of supporting the cans on top thereof in accordance with the present practice. At the same time the bottom of the cabinet may be employed for storage purposes, when desired, and access to the storage cans is conveniently provided through the removable tops 20 of the shelf structure It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having described the invention, what we claim is:

1. A hold-down attachment for ice-cream cans of a dispensing cabinet, said hold-down attachment comprising a frame, posts supporting the frame in an elevated position in the cabinet to provide space below the frame for receiving an ice-cream can, releasable means connecting the frame and posts and engaging the walls of the cabinet to secure the frame and posts immovable, a removable shelf supported on the frame and adapted to support a second can thereon, and means carried by the shelf and engaging the second can for securing the latter in position on the shelf. I

2. A hold-down attachment for ice-cream cans of a dispensing cabinet, said hold-down attachment comprising a frame, posts supporting the frame in an elevated position in the cabinet to provide space below the frame for receiving an ice-cream can, releasable means connecting the frame and posts and engaging the walls of the cabinet to secure the frame and posts immovable, a removable shelf supported on the frame and adapted to support a second can thereon, fixed means on the shelf engaging the frame to secure the shelf against lateral movement, and releasable means carried by the shelf and engaging the top of the second can to secure the latter against movement on the shelf.

3. A can supporting structure for ice cream dispensing cabinets and comprising an open frame. means for supporting the frame in a horizontal position in a cabinet above a can, set screws threaded through the sides of the frame and adapted for engagement with opposite walls of the cabinet for detachabl securing the frame therein. and a platform loosely supported on the frame to afford access to the can beneath the frame, said platform forming a supporting base for another can positioned in the cabinet above the frame.

ROY M. WILLIAMS. GEORGE J. KRAMER. 

